


A Shoulder To Cry On

by WritingSoul



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Angst, F/F, First Love, Gen, Heartbreak, Hopeless pining, Pining, ann's good moral support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 10:00:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18602251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingSoul/pseuds/WritingSoul
Summary: “Ann stepped out from behind the punching bag, eying the slightly shaking girl with concern. ‘Makoto,’ She asked, prompting crimson and crystalline eyes to clash, ‘Are you okay?’”Or: Ann's a really good shoulder to cry on, and Makoto's really sad sometimes.





	A Shoulder To Cry On

Makoto’s punches were always heavy. And it sounded like they hurt a  _ lot _ . Ann never found herself envying the punching bag, and today was absolutely no exception. She held the bag still, allowing the sound of her upperclassman’s punches to fill the space between then for now as she surveyed the nearly empty gym. 

 

_ Fwap, thwap, fwap, thwap.  _

 

The sound was odd, almost like she was hitting it harder than she usually did. In fact, Ann found that it was harder than usual to hold onto the bag with how hard she was hitting it. Yet, Makoto said nothing, only continuing to punch and kick the bag. A small kernel of worry was beginning to expand in the forefront of Ann’s mind, causing her to study the fighter.

 

She bit her lip. Sure, Makoto  _ was _ going to begin boxing lessons soon, but did boxers really have to hit that hard? Could Makoto even hit that hard usually? Was she angry? Upset, maybe? Maybe she needed to take her feelings out on something? What if her fighting was a form of self-control?

 

Maybe she was overthinking it, if just a little. Heat crept up onto her cheeks as she smiled to herself sheepishly, even though no one had technically caught her. 

 

_ “Oops…!”  _

 

The sound of Makoto’s contact with the bag stopped, and the underclassman of the two was suddenly very keenly aware of the fact that her friend was breathing heavily. Too heavily. 

 

“...Finished…” The short-haired girl said, unwrapping the bandages she’d put around her fists.. Makoto had informed her that it was habit and just to make sure that she didn’t rip her skin open, which seemed sensible, but Ann wasn’t entirely sure if they were needed or not. 

 

Either way, it wasn’t her chief concern at the moment. Makoto’s hands were shaking slightly, so slightly that Ann was sure it was just a trick of the light at first. But the more she looked, the more sure she became that this wasn’t a trick of the light.

 

Ann stepped out from behind the punching bag, eying the slightly shaking girl with concern. “Makoto,” She asked, prompting crimson and crystalline eyes to clash, “Are you okay?”

 

The brunette held the eye contact, which was surprising, and simply said, “Yes.” 

 

All Ann had to do was look down to her hands, which had begun to shake harder. Her friend followed her line of sight and closed her own eyes, swallowing thickly. She altered her answer, which was now a soft but vulnerable, “no.” 

 

Ann sat down on the floor next to the bag, then, as if Makoto just said she wanted to read a story. The blonde patted the spot next to her on the floor. “Sit.” 

 

Still messing with her bandages, the older girl sat on the floor, taking in a shaky breath as she focused on her hands. “It’s Haru….” 

 

Ah. Ann nodded. Figuring out what she meant by that phrase was not difficult, nor was the meaning lost on her by any means. Makoto had been hopelessly in love with the Okumura heiress for some time now, and that was only made worse by the fact that Haru was, well, straight, and had suitors lined up around the block for her - a couple of whom she’d made fast friends with. 

 

And that left Makoto pining hopelessly over her first love, even though she was powerless to do anything because she was so close with her love.    
  


The blonde got up and got them each a bottle of water, sitting down and uncapping her water. She had a feeling they were going to need hydration, and soon. 

 

“What happened?” 

 

“Well,” Makoto played with her hands, lungs seizing air shakily. “I told her that I f-felt lonely, because, you know, I...am, I suppose. Not that you’re not a really good friend but you….” 

 

“....can’t replace a lover. I understand.” Ann said, lips pulling into a comforting smile. 

 

Makoto shut her eyes, bowing her head so that she looked at the floor. “...yes. And she just said that she understood, Ann, and I got so  _ frustrated  _ with her. How could she possibly understand what I’m going through?” The shaking was becoming worse, as if the older girl were about to burst. Her eloquent vocabulary had ceased to dominate her word choice. But she continued. “She said she knew exactly how I felt, and clearly,” her voice rose, “ _ clearly _ , she doesn’t, because the last time that I talked to her, she wasn’t like  _ this _ ,” the girl gestured to herself “and she wasn’t hopelessly chasing over someone who would - would  _ never _ want her!” 

 

That was when the dam broke, and tears came out faster than Makoto could even think to hold them in. The blonde said nothing, instead just leaning over to embrace her training partner. Neither said anything for some time, but Makoto sunk into her grasp and held onto her as if she were a lifeline. It was so unusual for the girl that tears came to Ann’s eyes. She couldn’t imagine….would never imagine being in that situation. 

 

Pursuing someone for so long - how long had it been, anyway? Weeks? Months?  _ Years? _ \- and just knowing that they would never reciprocate, but not being able to let go….it sounded like torture. Like absolute, pure, hell. It had brought her normally rebellious spirit down to such a low level that Makoto couldn’t have stood on her own two feet even if she tried. 

 

The two wept together, Makoto for the love she would forever lose and Ann for the friend who was in so much pain, pain that wouldn’t go away. 

 

Makoto continued to talk through her tears, which were beginning to wet Ann’s shirt. She didn’t mind, however….tears would come out. “And she said she wished she could fix it, and she  _ can _ , Ann, she can and she just doesn’t  _ know. _ I’m trying so hard to be positive, but I can’t do this anymore. I feel like I’m going insane, Ann, I can’t-” Her breath gave out and the other girl held her close, shushing her quietly. 

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, just  _ breathe _ for now. It’s okay.” She said thickly, having been hit square in the chest with the meaning of what she was being told. It must have been so  _ awful _ to go through that, to see her. To hear about all of her crushes and see her every day, to hug her but know she’d never hold the other girl as close as she wished to. 

 

Makoto wept until she couldn’t anymore, finally going still in Ann’s arms as she sniffled. Ann could feel her lips moving, and listened as she just rubbed slow, calming circles into her back. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I? Crying like this in a public area….” 

 

Though Makoto couldn’t see it, Ann gave a sad, lopsided smile. “No, you’re not pathetic. It’s human to have feelings, and sometimes you need a good, sad cry. It’s alright.” 

 

Makoto had nothing to say to that, only shutting her eyes in a moment quiet contemplation. “I don’t know if I can fully explain it to you, either. She’s so….breathtaking, Ann. I hope and  _ pray _ that someone sees her the way I do, because….I don’t know how to describe it. The butterflies, the involuntary happiness I feel around her, the way she calls my name….it’s all so meaningful to me, but it’ll never be to her because she won’t feel the same….” Her voice was wistful, and soft, mixed in with something tender that was heartwarming and left hopeful.

 

The older girl let out a long sigh, and Ann patted her head. “Maybe not, but, in the end, it’ll get better. Things can’t suck forever, right?” 

 

Makoto lifted her face, finally, and wiped at her eyes and nose as she nodded in agreement. The girl’s metaphorical legs were coming out under her, slowly, shakily, but she was getting there. Her face was red and blotchy, but that didn’t deter Ann in the slightest as she smiled. “Feel better?” 

 

“Much.” Makoto answered with her usual smile. 

 

“Good.” Ann grabbed the water bottle that wasn’t her own and extended it to Makoto, who stared at it. “Now drink. The whole thing.” 

 

“I hardly think that I need an entire bottle of water -” 

 

Ann shook the water bottle in her upperclassman’s face, a stern expression on her own. “Whole bottle.” 

 

“Ann -”

 

“What did I say?” Ann rose her eyebrows, pressing the issue further. Makoto gave a good-natured sigh and took it from her, drinking the entire thing before she spoke again. 

 

“I thought that  _ I _ was supposed to be the mother hen out of our friends.” She commented, lips slanting into a sardonic half-smile. 

 

Ann shrugged, a brighter half-smile on her own lips. “Hm, I guess moral support has her obligations, too.” 

 

“Touché.” 

 

“Come on,” Ann said, patting Makoto’s knee and then standing. “Now that you’re hydrated, let’s go hit the treadmill so that I can make you drink more water!” 

 

Makoto laughed, but she stood too. “Um….thank you, Ann…” 

 

The blonde gave a toothy grin. “No prob! What are friends even for, anyway? Now come on! I wanna hit that treadmill!” 

 

She dragged Makoto off by the wrist, only for her to begin to protest.

 

“A-Ann, wait, I haven’t taken these wrappings off yet-! Ann-!” 

 

Ann only cackled and continued onward. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, it's been a while since I've published anything!  
> I'm happy I'm getting back into it with some MakoHaru, though, because oof, you know? Sometimes you need a break from your other ships and I'm working on Akirann Week right now. So this was quick and small but was hopefully feelsy
> 
> With this, I wanted to explore what it would be like if Makoto did have an unrequited crush and couldn't handle it. Pining sucks, man. And Ann, well, I wanted to explore more of her caring and empathetic nature, because again, atlus deprived me. And I love Ann. Plus, these two are hella good even as a Brotp.
> 
> As always, be sure to comment, bookmark, leave kudos, and all that happy jazz! I'll probably fall off of the face of the universe again while I prepare for things, but if you could leave a comment letting me know what you thought that would be superb!


End file.
